Kolkata : As per news reports, the Bengal economy has got a big boost during the Durga Puja this year. The Durga Puja economy is estimated to have touched Rs 65,000 crore in Bengal  — Kolkata contributing 65%-70% — despite record rainfall in the run-up to the festival and sales hitting a sudden pause ahead of GST 2.0 rollout. 
An official study conducted by British Council in 2019 had pegged Kolkata’s Durga Puja economy at about Rs 33,000 crore. Last year, puja business was Rs 55,000-57,000 crore, and industry insiders had expected it to surpass Rs 70,000 crore this year. 
The 2,500-odd Durga Puja committees in Kolkata together spent an estimated Rs 200 crore this year on idols, decorations, illuminations and rituals. For the entire state, the figure is estimated to be about Rs 450 crore. The money splurged sustains artisans, craftsmen, labourers and small businesses for months. The big earner was F&B sector, with restaurants witnessing 20%-25% surge in footfall.

Source: TOI